New Exhibit at National World War II Museum on Pearl Harbor 80th Anniversary-- Part 2

The story about Elvis Presley and the USS Arizona Memorial is a relatively light-hearted story  in contrast to the rest of the new Pearl Harbor exhibit at the museum which is called "Infamy:  Pearl Harbor Remembered" which has its official opening on November 16 and will be on view until June 7 at the museum's Joe W. and Dorothy D. Brown Special Exhibit Gallery.

Visitors can see a 20-inch steel fragment from the USS Arizona, which shares a glass case with a chunk of wood from the USS Oklahoma.  In a frame on a nearby wall is the flag that was raised on the USS St. Louis when the Japanese raid began.

"Remember Pearl Harbor" became a rallying cry for the United States afterwards and there are several propaganda posters in the exhibit on this theme.

Also in the exhibit, there are thumbnail sketches of people involved in the attack in what President Roosevelt called "The Day of Infamy."

One was Doris "Dorie" Miller, a Navy  mess attendant aboard the battleship USS West Virginia.  Even though he had never had training, he took over one of those guns and shot down two Japanese plan.  A machine gun similar to the one he manned  is also on display.

For this action, Miller became the first black person to receive the Navy Cross, which is one step below the Medal of Honor.  Sadly, Doris was killed in November 1943 in the South Pacific when he was just 24.

--GreGen

New Aircraft Carrier to be Named After Doris Miller

It was announced that a future Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will be named after Pearl Harbor  hero Dorie Miller.  It is the first aircraft carrier ever to be named after a black sailor or an enlisted man because of heroic actions.

He was ship's cook on the USS West Virginia when the attack came and manned a .50 caliber Browning anti-aircraft gun until he ran out of ammunition and then helped other sailors.

Later,he died on the USS Liscome Bay when it was hit by a torpedo and sank in 1943.

This is the second Navy ship named for him.  The other one was the USS Doris Miller (FF-1091) which served 1973-1991).

A Well-Deserved Honor.  --GreGen

Bits of War: Oldest Pearl Harbor Vet Turns 106-- New Book on Dorie Miller-- Another USS Oklahoma Unknown ID'd

1.  OLDEST PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR--  Ray Chavez of San Diego turns 106.

2..  NEW BOOK ON DORIE MILLER--  There is a new biography on Doris "Dorie" Miller called "Pearl harbor and the Birth of the Civil Rights Movement" by Thomas W. Cutrer and T. Michael Parrish

3.  ANOTHER USS OKLAHOMA UNKNOWN IDENTIFIED--  3-19-18--  Navy Fireman 1st Class Jarvis G. Outland.

Sure Glad They Are Identifying the Unknowns of the Oklahoma.  --GreGen

Survived Seven Torpedoes and Came Back: The USS West Virgina-- Part 1

From the February 12, 2016, Daily News "This ship survived 7 torpedoes at Pearl Harbor and went on to help crush the Japanese" by Daniel McDonald.

The USS West Virginia was struck by a torpedo from a Japanese midget submarine and immediately began sinking, listing to the port.  That list got worse as successive torpedoes crashed into her.  The damage was major on its port side, facing out into the harbor.

At least seven torpedoes hit the ship and 2 bombs as well, but fortunately the bombs didn't explode.  The ship was counter-flooded on its starboard side so it wouldn't end up capsizing like the USS Oklahoma.

An oil fire raged through the ship for 30 hours, buckling the metal in many places.

The captain and many of the crew died that day.  Captain Mervyn S. Bennion received a posthumous Medal of Honor for saving his ship as he lay dying from shrapnel that pierced his abdomen.

Navy cook Dorie Miller helped him and then noticed an unmanned .50 caliber machine gun, manned it ans=d shot down 3 or 4 planes.  He became the first black sailor to be awarded the Navy Cross.

--GreGen